Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

A.G. GancarskiMarch 5, 2016

Florida Governor Rick Scott loves to laugh, and jokes will be served with his dinner tonight, at the Gridiron Club dinner in Washington, DC. The Gridiron Club dinner offers a cavalcade of self-deprecating jokes, and Barack Obama has been a master of the format, offering a unique meta-discourse on the gap between the public persona of his […]

Ryan RayMarch 4, 2016

Legislative budget writers met Friday evening to take up another pair of unreconciled budget areas – Transportation & Economic Development and Civil & Criminal Justice – and came to a final agreement, closing out millions in funding items in a multibillion dollar move when the House and Senate accepted each others’ offers. Among the most […]

Gary FineoutMarch 4, 2016

With executions halted and the prosecution of some murder cases in limbo, the Florida Legislature overhauled the state’s death penalty law Thursday in response to a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that the current sentencing law is unconstitutional. Legislators sent to Gov. Rick Scott a bill that would require that at least 10 out […]

Ryan RayMarch 3, 2016

In a swift 15-minute meeting Thursday night, the full bicameral Budget Conference Committee closed out all remaining differences in the chambers’ massive health care and general government budget silos, swapping tens of millions of dollars and making significant progress towards reconciling their respective $80-plus billion proposals. “We could go huddle up for 30 seconds and […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMarch 3, 2016

Gov. Rick Scott won’t be wading any deeper into presidential politics — at least not yet. The Naples Republican on Thursday said he would not endorse a candidate before the March 15 Republican primary. In a statement on his Facebook page, Scott said he has made it his practice “not to get involved in primaries […]

Jenna Buzzacco-FoersterMarch 3, 2016

The Army Corps of Engineers is slowing the releases from Lake Okeechobee; not stopping them, despite repeated calls from lawmakers and local communities to do just that. The Corps announced Thursday it would reduce the flows from Lake Okeechobee into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie estuaries. The reduction is expected to begin this weekend. However, […]

Associated PressMarch 3, 2016

Florida’s back to school sales tax holiday will be scaled back this year. A key Senate panel on Thursday approved a bill that would cut back the tax holiday from 10 days to just three days in August. During that time period shoppers will be able to purchase clothes and school supplies without paying sales […]

Associated PressMarch 2, 2016

Law enforcement agencies will soon have to turn over rape kits for testing within 30 days under a bill sent Wednesday to Gov. Rick Scott, who plans to sign it. The bill is a response to a backlog of thousands of untested rape kits in Florida, an issue Attorney General Pam Bondi brought awareness to […]

A.G. GancarskiMarch 2, 2016

The major public health scare of this year in Florida thus far: the Zika virus. Florida Gov. Rick Scott requested and received this week 500 more Zika antibody test kits from the federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC). In a prepared statement Scott said, “Making sure all Floridians stay informed and remain prepared for the […]

Peter SchorschMarch 2, 2016

Tuesday night, for maybe the first time in his political career, Rick Scott was sought after. National reporters were chasing after his spokeswoman. The talking heads were searching for his shiny head. The hashtag #WorstGovernorInFloridasModernHistory did not immediately appear next to @FLGovScott on Twitter. Last night, Rick Scott was a wanted man — and for all the […]

Tag: Rick Scott

Rick Scott to attend D.C.’s Gridiron Club dinner Saturday

Budget writers close out TED, justice budget silos

Florida overhauls death penalty in bid to resume executions

House and Senate close out health care, general gov’t budget silos

Rick Scott declines to endorse in GOP presidential primary

Army Corps of Engineers to reduce flows from Lake Okeechobee

Florida’s back to school tax holiday scaled back this year

Bill requiring quick testing of rape kits goes to Gov. Rick Scott

Florida to get 500 more Zika antibody test kits from CDC

How Gary Fineout and John Kennedy owned Fox News